Binford’s beauties wow them in Sturgis, on Discovery Channel
By JASON CAMPBELL
209 Living reporter
Paul Binford doesn’t just build motorcycles.
He builds one-of-a-kind, custom pieces of art that can’t be duplicated.
And that’s exactly what his custom-bike customers are looking for when they’re looking to part with tens of thousands of dollars for something that absolutely nobody else is going to be riding.
For more than a decade Binford has been putting his own artistic touch on the fabrication of custom motorcycles that run the gamut from Salt Flat racers to daily machines to those that are only meant for special occasions.
He’s won big awards at the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Run in South Dakota, and he captured the imagination of bikers everywhere he went “big” with a design on Discovery’s “Biker Build-Off” that featured custom, 30-inch wheels and a frame that made it truly unique.
So just what does Binford build?
On top of the motorcycle that was revealed on the popular Discovery Channel Show, he’s built theme bikes hitting on everything from The Sopranos to the Oakland Raiders – the latter of which, valued at more than $100,000, was stolen from a storage facility where Binford stores the overflow from his North Main Street Shop.
Over the years he’s turned the small shop into a one-stop shop for people who need anything from parts to paint to the full-custom beauties that he rolls out for those who are willing to invest the money for a one-off creation that will stand the test of time.
He’s even had a few projects of his own that he’s rolled out over the years just for the sake of fun.
Back in 2009 Binford partnered with another accomplished bike builder to take a 2004 Harley Davidson FLTRI Road Glide and convert it into a motorcycle that would make a run at a speed record on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah – telling Baggers Motorcycle that it was clocked at 159 miles per hour on pavement in preparation for the duel in the desert.
And while he’s earned accolades and fans from magazines, bike shows and even the Discovery Channel, none of that has ever gone to his head or taken away from the blue collar roots that he’s not ashamed to display to his customers or to the friends that have turned the shop into a bit of a hangout.
“It’s a great feeling knowing that you’re going to get that recognition, but I still live and work in Manteca – it’s a small town where I hang out in the taverns like to go home at the end of the day and play with my dogs,” Binford said while the Discovery Channel crew was filming on site. “That’s far, far away from the movie star thing. I’m just blessed that we’ve been able to run away with this thing.”
Binford Custom Cycles is located at 418 N. Main Street in Manteca. For more information call 209.239.7828 or visit www.binfords.com.
To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.
